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Caring People Aid Neighbors in Distress
By Clare and Gerry Stevens, Winsted
We are writing to publicly acknowledge a number of people who came to our aid on Saturday evening, July 20. We were preparing to participate in the Highland Lake Watershed Association boat parade when we discovered that our boat had sunk right in front of our cottage. While still wondering how this could have happened, we called the Police Department for help. The Police dispatched the Fire Department and a number of helpful volunteers arrived very quickly. Fire Chief Joe Beadle organized his skillful team, who surrounded the boat with an absorbent collar to contain any leaking gas and oil. These firefighters showed that they not only know how to extinguish fires, but could work well in eight feet of water!
Both the Fire Department and Marine Patrol were back on the scene Sunday morning to help with removing the water-soaked boat from the lake. Their presence drew the attention of several other boaters who were passing by. Todd Perry called his friend Peter Gauthier, who had some experience with hauling sunken boats from their watery graves. With the help of two other wonderful neighbors, Willie Platt and Ed "Moose" Dzielak, a plan was developed to remove the plug in the boat, gradually pull it with Peter's powerful craft, and bucket the water in the boat until it could float. Paul Vaccari maneuvered the Marine Patrol boat so as to provide a safe path for the operation. In a short time there were cheers from the crowd gathered on the dock as we watched the sunken vessel rise higher and higher in the water until it was finally able to float and be retrieved at the State Boat Launch.
We share this story in hopes that it will remind everyone that Winsted is a community made up of many caring people who go out of their way to come to the aid of neighbors in distress. Our heartfelt thanks go to Fire Chief Beadle, the conscientious volunteers in the Winsted Fire Department, the Police Department and Marine Patrolman Vaccari, as well as our caring neighbors who came forward to help.
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